Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-05

And % ON, still on, without break or pause,
for hour after hour.
At last began to feel that even the splen-
did animal that rode was beginning to give
out looked at my watch; it was nearly
midnight, and We were considerably more
than half way. On the top Of . rise was q
little spring. which remembered because ]
had slept by it few nights before, and here
I motioned to Umslopogaas to pull up, having
to give the horses and ourselves
ten minutes to breathe in. He did so, and we
is to say, Umslopogaas did,
and then helped me of, for what with fatigue,
stiffness, and the pain Of my wound, l could
not do so for myself; and the gallant horses
stood painting there. resting first one leg and
then another, while the sweat fell drip, drip,
from them, and the steam rose and hung in
pale clouds in the still night air.
Leaving Umslopogaas to hold the horses,
hobbled to tn spring and drank deep Of its
sweet waters. had had nothing but single
mouthful Of wine since midday, when the
battle began, and was parched up though
my fatigue was too great to allow Inc to feel
hungry. Then, having laved my fevered
head and hands, l returned, and the Zulu
went and drank. Next we allowed the horses
to take couple of mouthfuls each-no more;
and oh, what a struggle we had to get the
poor beasts away from the waterl There
were yet two minutes, and l employed it in
hoboling up and down to try and relieve my
stiffness, and in inspecting the condition Of
the horses Ny mare, gallant animal though
she was, was evidently much distressed; she
hung her head, and her eye looked sick and
dull; but Daylight, Nylepthas glorious horse
who, il he is served arigbt, should, like the
steetis who saved the great Rameses In his
need, feed for the rest Of his days out Of .
golden manger-was still, comparatively
speaking, perfectly fresh, notwithstanding
that he had ..ad by far the heavier weight to
carry. He was tucked up" indeed, and his
legs were weary, but his eye was bright and
clear, and he held his shapely head up and
gazed out into the darkness round him in Q
way that seemed to say that, whoever failed,
he was good for those five and forty miles
that yet lay between us and MilosiS Then
Umslopogaas helped me into the saddle and
vigorous old savage that he was.-vaulted
into his own without touching a stirrup, and
We were of once more, slowly at first, till the
horses got into their stride, and then more
swiftly. So We passed over another ten
miles, and then came a long. weary rise Of
some six or seven miles, and three times did
my poor black mare nearly come to tho
ground with me- But on the top she seemed
to gather herseH together, and rattled down
the slope with long, convulsive strides,
breathing in gasps. We did that three or
four miles more swiftly than any since We
had started on our wild ride, but felt it to
be last effort, and I was right Suddenly
my poor b.rse took the bit between ber teeth
and bolted curiously along q stretch Of level
ground for some 800 or 400 yards, and then,
with two or three jerky strides, pulled her
self up and fell with crash right on to her
head. rolling myself free rs she did So As
I struggled on to my feet the brave beast
raised her head and looked at me with piteous
bloodshot eyes. and then her head dropped
with groan and she was dead Her heart
was broken.
Umslopogaas pulled up beside the carcass,
and looked at him in dismay. There were
still more than twenty miles to do by dawn,
and how were we to do it with one horsel 1t
seemed hopeless. but had forgotten the old
Zulu's extraordinary running powers
Without single wor'' he sprang from the
saddle and began to hoi, H., into it
"What wilt thou dor as.ed.
@Run," he answered, seizing my stirrup
leather.
Then of We went again, almost a. fast a.
before; and. oh: the relief it was to me to get
that change Of horses! Anybody who has
ever ridden against time will know what it
meant
Daylight sped along at . long stretching
hand gallop, giving the gaunt Zulu lift at
svery stride 1t was a wonderful thing to
see old Cmslopogaas run mile after mile. his
lips slightly parted and his nostrils agape like
the horses Every five miles or SO westopped
for few minutes to let him get his breath,
and then few on again.
1Canst thou 60 farther" said at the third
Of these stoppages, "or shall leave thee to
follow mei'
He pointed with his az to dim mass be-
fore us 1t was the Temple Of the Sun. now
not more than five miles away.
Il reach it or die" he gasped.
Oh, that last five miles! The skin was
rubbed from the inside Of my legs, and every
of my horse gave me anguish.
Nor was that all was exhausted with toll,
want Of food and sleep, and also suffering
very much from the blow I had received
on my left side; it seemed as though a pieco
Of bone or something was slowly piercing
into my lung. Poor Daylight, too, was pretty
nearly finished, and no wonder. But there
was q smell Of dawn in the air, and we might
not stay; better that all three Of us should
die upon the road than that We should linger
while there was life in U.S. The air was thick
and heavy, as it sometimes is before the dawn
breaks, and-nnother infallible sign in GER
lain parts Of Zu-Vendis that sunrise is ut
hand-hundreds Of little spiders pendent OH
The end Of long tough webs were floating
about in it. These early rising creatures, or
rather their webs, caught upon the horses
and our own forms by scores, and as we had
neither the time nor the energy to brush them
of, we rushed along covered with hundreds
Of long gray threads that streamed out q yard
Or more behind us-and q very strange ap-
pearance they must have given US
And now before US are the huge brazen
gates Of the outer wall of the Frowning City,
and new and horrible doubt strikes me:
" hat il they will not let US INF
-Open! openIr shout imIeriously, at tho
'ame time giving the royal password. Open!
open! messenger, messenger with tidin.s
,f the war!"
what newsI' cried the guard. "And who
art thou that ridest SO madlyi and who is
that whose tongue lolls out'-and it actually
lid-'and who runs by thee like . dog by
,hariotr
at is the Lord Macumazahn, and with him
S his dog, his black dog. Open! open! l
bring tidinss."
The great gates ran back on their rollers,
md the drawbridge fell with rafting crash.
md We dashed on throug gh the one and over
he other.
sWhat news, my lordl what newsF- cried
he guard.
-Incubu rolls Sorais back. as the wind
,loud,' answered. and was gone.
One more effort, gallant horse, and yet
more gallant mani
So, fall not now, Daylight; and hold thy
ifa in thee for fifteen short rninI,faa mora old